2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR sets a new record at Nurburgring with 7:12.13

With an elapsed time of 7:12.13, the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR took the production car lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife for the second time. This street-legal, track-ready car certainly made the Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team proud on Sept. 14, 2011.

As there are no 2011 model-year Dodge Viper cars in production, SRT teamed up with the Viper Club of America and the ViperExchange by Tomball Dodge team from Tomball, Texas, which supplied two brand-new 2010 Dodge Viper ACR. Ralph Gilles, President and CEO – SRT Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC, said that their team is “extremely proud” to set this lap record.

He added that the team’s efforts portray the “incredible depth and capability” of the Viper ACR by hitting a record that’s 10 seconds quicker than the one they achieved in 2008. Ben Keating, the ViperExchange team owner, made sure that veteran GT driver Dominik Farnbacher will be behind the wheel of the Viper ACR to set the new record lap. In 2011 at the 24 Hours of Daytona was where Keating and Farnbacher had teamed up previously.

This Viper ACR is street-legal and is factory-equipped and tuned to have excellent track performance with coil-over racing dampers that can be adjusted for damping and ride height. These shocks are two-way factory adjustable without having to remove the wheels.

This saves some time regardless of the track configuration. The shocks also have a wide range for compression and rebound adjustment. Its aerodynamics can also be adjusted through the carbon-fiber rear wing with seven-position stanchions and a front splitter that could be adjusted.

The Dodge SRT10 ACR will come with its trademarked two-tone paint motif and it will have its center section in black. However a driver’s stripe will be offered as an option which will either be the two-tone Viper Red or the Viper Black ACR. With this option, the steering wheel will come with a sewn leather detail. Meanwhile the wing, which is made of carbon-fiber, has a clear-coated exposed weave, and this is available for the two-tone models as well as the variants with the driver’s stripe.

For those who prefer a monotone paint motif, it will be offered as well and will even have the rear wing in body color and Viper stripes that have been dual painted. Five colors will be offered for the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR which includes Viper Black, Viper Bright Blue Metallic, Viper Red, Viper Very Orange, and Viper Violet. Its lightweight Sidewinder wheels, which are forged in aluminum, have gloss black paint and have a unique style to its exterior.

Speaking of the exterior, there are styling cues that show not just its strong visuals but have functional advantages especially on the racing circuit. Examples of these are the rear wings that are adjustable and sculpted with Computational Fluid Dynamics and fanged front splitter with variable geometry.

There are also the front dive planes that have been optimized. In addition, these aerodynamic features were shaped using autoclaved high-performance carbon fiber. Since it makes use of woven laminates that are unidirectional, it’s guaranteed that the weight would reach the minimum possible. Furthermore, the dive planes and splitter have a weave that is clearly made up of a clear-coated carbon-fiber.

This is true for all versions of the Viper SRT10 ACR. Meanwhile the splitter in the front has three removable rub strips that ensure wear resistance and give protection. This splitter has tension cables, in stainless steel, supporting it with the splitter designed with the aim of absorbing any energy resulting from minor upward deflections. Aerodynamic features in the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR have both been balanced and tuned to deliver enhanced level of later grip in addition to giving maximum downforce.

In addition, each model of the Viper SRT10 ACR will have the track extension instead of the center splitter rub strip. It also fills out its fanged splitter scallop that is typically for closed-circuit events. As a result of the track extension, the overall drag is lowered while the downforce in the front is boosted by almost a third. Another change is the use of lightweight filler panels rather than fog lamps for the front.

Press Release

Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR Reclaims Production Car Lap Record at Nürburgring with 7:12.13

The Chrysler Group's Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team made history on Sept. 14, 2011, at the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife as their ultimate, street-legal, track-ready car – the Dodge Viper SRT10® ACR – recaptured the production car lap record with a 7:12.13 elapsed time.

With no 2011 model-year Dodge Viper cars being produced, SRT joined forces with the Viper Club of America and the ViperExchange by Tomball Dodge team from Tomball, Texas, which supplied two brand-new 2010 Dodge Viper ACR's off their showroom floor for the record-setting effort.

"We're extremely proud to set the lap record for a second time at the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO – SRT Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. "Our team returned to Germany knowing we'd left some time on the track when we set our first lap record, so this effort shows the incredible depth and capability the Viper ACR has by running a full 10 seconds faster than we did in 2008."

ViperExchange team owner and longtime Viper enthusiast Ben Keating, also was instrumental in securing veteran GT driver Dominik Farnbacher to drive the Viper ACR to the new record lap. Keating and Farnbacher previously teamed up at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2011.

The street-legal Viper ACR is factory-equipped and tuned for outstanding track performance with coil-over racing dampers that are adjustable for both damping and ride height. The shocks are two-way factory adjustable without removing the wheels – a timesaver at any track configuration – and they include a large range for compression and rebound adjustment. Aerodynamics are also adjustable via carbon-fiber rear wing with seven-position stanchions and an adjustable front splitter.

SRT's first official visit to the Nürburgring took place in August 2008 when the newly launched 2008 Dodge Viper ACR came to Germany with driver Tom Coronel and established a new production car lap record time of 7:22.1, a record that stood through much of 2011.

As a result of their original trip to Nürburgring, SRT engineering implemented a few specific improvements to get even more speed out of the record-setting supercar.

For the 2010 model year, the Viper ACR received a shorter fifth gear ratio (changing from 0.74 to 0.80) for improved high-speed acceleration and higher straightaway speeds. This helped achieve higher speeds down the front straightaway of Döttinger Höhe and past the Antonius Bridge on the Nürburgring course. The rear-wing profile and end plates also were redesigned to further optimize the vehicle aerodynamics and improve yaw downforce, which allowed greater speeds through the high speed turns such as Schwedenkreuz. A new short-throw shifter also came in 2010 models for enhanced driver control and quicker shifts.

The hot-lap testing was spread over two days. On Sept. 12, the track was completely wet at the beginning of the four-hour session. By the final hour, the track was mostly dry but peak performance was limited due to a few remaining damp areas at the Bergwerk corner and Fuchsröhre and Wippermann areas. The best lap of the day was a 7:15.6 at the end of the session. By Sept. 14, a clear weather pattern allowed the track to dry and gave the team good conditions for the Viper ACR's final lap of 7:12.13.

The Viper ACR holds benchmark lap times at the following road courses: